Michael Phelps returned to the University of Michigan, his home for four years before the Beijing Games.

“It feels good to be back,” he said Saturday. “It feels good to be back in the maize and blue.”

The swimming superstar was honored with other Olympians with ties to the school before Saturday's football game against Wisconsin. He sported a Wolverines football jersey with his name and No. 8, representing the record-setting gold medals he won last month.

Phelps lived and trained in Ann Arbor after emerging as a star at the Athens Games in 2004 and returned to campus for the first time this weekend since leaving for workouts June 25.

Phelps has two tattoos – Olympic rings and a block “M” – and says he chose the school's iconic symbol because Ann Arbor was the place where he experienced such firsts as washing dishes and doing laundry.

“Coming here and living here for four years taught me a lot, and I'm thankful for the experiences I had here because they changed my life,” Phelps said. “I wanted to get that as a memory of something that really changed my life.”

Since Beijing, Phelps has gone to London, been honored in a parade at Disney World in Florida, hosted “Saturday Night Live” and attended the MTV Video Music Awards. One of the highlights was having actress Demi Moore introduce herself and invite him to dinner after MTV's awards show.

“I'm living a dream,” he said.

But he repeated a wish he's had for years: “I still haven't met (Michael) Jordan. ”

Later in the afternoon, one of Jordan's friends said the Hall of Fame basketball player wants Phelps to join him at his golf tournament this winter in the Bahamas.

TRIVIA TIME

Brett Favre threw a career-high six touchdown passes for the Jets yesterday. Laveranues Coles was the biggest beneficiary, catching three TD passes. What player has caught the most touchdown passes from Favre?

L.A. UNI TO ORANGE JUMPSUIT?

A man faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing a uniform from Dodger Stadium and posing as one of the team's players.

Ronald Higgins pleaded not guilty to several charges Friday, including burglary and trespassing.

The 47-year-old Higgins was arrested Wednesday morning after a security guard found him walking on the field in a Dodgers uniform and holding a glove with two baseballs. Higgins allegedly identified himself as a Dodgers player, but the guard recognized him from an earlier incident and called police.

Prosecutors say Higgins' clothes were later found in the bat boys' locker room. It was not immediately clear where he got the uniform.

TOILETS THAT DON'T FACE MECCA

Olympic organizers issued detailed design rules for the 2012 London Games recently, including a mandate that at least some toilets in the Olympic Park will not face the holy Islamic city of Mecca.

Members of the Olympic Delivery Authority said they wanted the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be inclusive of people with different faiths and individuals with disabilities. Other design requirements include wide paths with smooth surfaces and seats at regular intervals.

Muslims face Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, when they pray and generally do not believe they should do the same when using the toilet.

PARTING SHOTS

The late race-car driver Paul Newman (who also did a little acting), when Playboy asked if he was ever tempted to stray during his 51-year marriage to actress Joanne Woodward: “I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?”

From Dwight Perry, Seattle Times:

“ . . . With advertisers' names appearing on all things sporting these days, we toss in this promotional plug for free: This year's Mariners collapse brought to you by Washington Mutual.”

TRIVIA ANSWER

Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman caught 57 touchdown passes from Favre, the most of any player.